Crash: A Bad Boy MMA Romance

by Delane, Haylee

  “Explain,” Don said, waving his hand and inviting us to sit. Gloria poured us both a cup of coffee, looking at us with sympathy in her eyes. I felt like I was about to cry.

  “Mom. Don. When I was in Brazil—before I’d even met Don—Crash and I had a fling.”

  “A fling?” Don said, raising his eyebrow.

  “It was more than that,” Crash said.

  “Well, we both felt something special, but I left the next day, never expecting to see him again. But then, you brought him to the hospital for a DNA test. I almost lost it,” I said.

  “Why didn’t you say something then?” Mom asked.

  “Because. I had a secret that was haunting me. I didn’t know for sure yet. And I was shocked and embarrassed when you brought Crash to my hospital. We hadn’t seen each other since that night.”

  “Secret?” Mom said.

  “Mom. Don. I’m pregnant.”

  “Pregnant?” they both said at the same time.

  My mother stood and walked down the table to throw her arms around me. I was so relieved that I started to cry. Damn hormones.

  “Baby, you’ve been keeping this a secret all that time?”

  “Yes, Mom. I’m sorry.”

  “Sweetheart. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because it’s Crash’s baby.”

  “So it is his child?” Don said.

  My mother slid into the chair beside me and began to stroke my back affectionately. I dipped my head against her shoulder and a tear slid down my cheek.

  “Don. This is not the time to criticize or pass judgment.”

  “I understand, Christie,” Don said. “Crash, what are your intentions with Harper? What do you plan to do to support her?”

  “I want Harper to be my wife. I want to raise our child together to be the father I never had. The only thing that matters is that Harper and I are a family.”

  “I told Crash about the inheritance,” I whispered. “I didn’t want to ruin it for him. So I didn’t tell you.”

  “Harper. Did you think Don would disinherit him for this?”

  “I didn’t know,” I said.

  “Well. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to see what kind of man he is. I never expected he would impregnate my stepdaughter. But I can see that Crash is the best kind of man there is. He wants to do right by his family. I admire that. He’s a better man than I was at that age. That means a great deal to me.”

  I sat up straight and looked Don in the eyes. “You aren’t going to disinherit him?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  “I don’t care about the money. I’m prepared to take care of my kid with my wife on my own.”

  “But the money will help,” I said, grasping his hand. “I didn’t want to take that away from you, Crash.”

  He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m the luckiest man in the world to have a woman like you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A year and a half later

  I stood in the wedding tent, my pulse pounding. Mom looked at me and smiled, fixing the vail that hung down over my hair. Ava and Mia fussed with my dress and giggled about my wedding night. I could barely hear anyone. Beyond the curtains, Crash stood down the beach under an arch of red roses and white lilacs. He was so handsome in his tuxedo, it made my body quake with excitement.

  Mom held little Andrew Jr. in her arms. At nine months old, Andrew looked like a little gentleman in his baby tuxedo. I leaned down and kissed my baby’s chubby cheek. I’d never believed I could love anyone more than I loved Crash. The moment Andrew was born, I knew there could be no greater love. Together with our son, mine and Crash’s love had compounded exponentially. It made me giddy to even contemplate it.

  Everyone had given a hand in helping take care of the baby. We’d been living in Don’s huge house so that Mom, who was semi-retired, and all the servants could lend a hand in taking care of little Andrew while I continued my residency. We even hired a nanny.

  It had been hard, but I’d been up for the challenge, especially surrounded by so much love and support. After Andrew was born, and I’d taken a few months off, I’d bounced back into my routine at the hospital and had started assisting in surgeries.

  I didn’t even have to see Jeremy anymore. When his employers learned he’d had a doctor’s boyfriend beaten up, he’d lost his job and had to move back to Minnesota.

  Everything was going great for me and my new family.

  Ava and Mia picked up their bouquets as the wedding music began to play. They were escorted down the aisle by fighters from Crash’s gym. The girls still had boyfriends, but that didn’t mean that they were any less giddy on the arms of such massive hunks of men.

  I stood with my mom at the door of the tent. Don slid his arm into mine, and I smiled up at him. Since my dad had disappeared a long time ago, Don had agreed to walk me down the aisle. I couldn’t have been happier about it. I’d really come to see him as a father figure. Mom kissed my cheek before she hurried out to her chair with baby Andrew.

  “You ready?” Don asked, patting my hand.

  I gripped my bouquet of roses and lilacs. The scent was intoxicating and relaxing at the same time. My heart still slammed against my chest. I shouldn’t be nervous. I was marrying the love of my life and the father of my child, but my body didn’t seem to agree.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  The wedding march began and Don escorted me out of the tent and slowly down the aisle. When Crash saw me, his eyes grew wide and I saw the hint of a tear in the corner. Don handed me over to Crash and the tear slid down his cheek.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  Andrew made a happy baby noise from my mother’s lap in the front row. Crash and I smiled at our son and then at each other, holding hands in front of the justice of the peace and all our family and friends.

  “We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in matrimony.”

  The justice of the peace went through the ceremony until it was time for Crash and I to say our vows. I trembled as he cleared his throat to say his. I knew I was about to choke up.

  “Harper Kelly. From the first moment I saw you, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. The day we met, I knew I’d been changed forever. You’ve given me a life, our son. You’ve made me want to be a better man. The love we share is worth more than a billion dollars. You are my home. My heart. My everything. Thank you for what you’ve given me. It’s my life mission to give the same to you.”

  A tear slid down my face, and I shuddered.

  “Crash Nolan. Your charm, your brilliant smile, and your fierce loyalty won my heart and keeps it safe in your capable hands. The love and the family we’ve created has given me a soft place to fall. It has given me the security and contentment I’ve been looking for my entire life. Together we create more than the sum of our parts. Together we create everything.”

  I couldn’t hear anything else until the justice of the peace pronounced us husband and wife. Crash leaned in and claimed my lips in a soft, loving kiss. We walked back down the aisle with birdseed flying around our heads.

  The entire reception was a daze of laughter and happiness. When it was over, we gave our baby kisses and hugs, leaving him in Mom and Don’s capable hands for a week. The limo drove us to the airport to take Don’s private jet for our honeymoon.

  We slept on the flight and made it to Brazil as the sun rose over the Atlantic the next morning. The limo was waiting for us there at the airport, and we were greeted with hot coffee for the drive over to the resort.

  Once we’d been shown to our rooms, Crash stood out on the balcony looking over the ocean and the pools below. I came to join him, already in my swimsuit. I ran my hand up his muscled back and put my arm around his waist. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

  “I never expected to be here again,” he said.

  “Me either. Not after the night we spent together here the last time.”
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br />   “Want to have a replay?” he said, pulling me against his abdomen. I could feel the growing hardness under his board shorts. I giggled and nodded my head, biting my lip.

  “Uh huh,” I said. “When it gets dark.”

  “That’s my girl.” He leaned down to kiss me hard on the mouth. “Damn, girl. You still get me so hard. Even after all this time. I’m glad I married you so I can fuck you whenever I want.”

  I slapped his chest. “You could do that before we got married.”

  “Yeah. But now I’m fucking my wife. It’s hotter than fiancé sex.”

  I giggled, leaning in against his chest. “I’m so happy, Crash.”

  “I am too, babe.”

  “Are you happy that you’re a trainer now instead of a fighter?”

  “Of course. I can’t be leaving my family alone to tour around the world. Besides, I can fight locally if I really want to. I’m better than ever since I got sober.”

  “Crash. You’re the best man a girl could ever ask for.”

  He lifted me up off my feet, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me back into the suite.

  “How about we have a little preview of what we’re going to do in the ocean tonight?” he said, giving me that brilliant, bright smile.

  ***

  Thank you for reading Crash.

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